Pale Green Ghosts (CD)

John Grant

Amoeba Review

05/13/2013

Former frontman for The Czars John Grant takes turmoil — his past addiction, HIV-positive status and coming to terms with his sexuality — and makes it into glorious music on his second solo album. Opener “Pale Green Ghost” finds Grant singing deeply over a spare electronic track with morose strings, coming off like late-period Depeche Mode. But Grant isn’t one to wallow musically. “Blackbelt’s” sassiness is charming enough to pull off lines like “what you got is a blackbelt in B.S.” “I am the greatest motherfucker that you’re ever gonna meet” he continues in folk-rock of “GMF,” adding that being with him, “you could be laughing 65 percent more of the time.” Grant takes a cue from predecessors Morrissey and Stephen Merritt — his ability to make a cutting joke about his own misery and that of others makes his the kind of coping music that rings truest.